Correspondent photo / Sean Barry Janet Cobb of Salem, a member of the Mahoning Valley Freedom Fighters, speaks during the rally. Several dozen people took part in the vigil.

YOUNGSTOWN — Penny Wells has spoken to many people of late who, given the current political climate, have expressed pessimism, cynicism and a sense that the country is doomed.

Nevertheless, a common four-letter word can go a long way toward restructuring their emotional makeup, she contends.

“You might get discouraged, but you never give up hope,” Wells, Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past’s executive director, said. “Some of us have given up hope; we are discouraged, we see no future for our country.”

That seemingly straightforward but, for many people, not-so-simple message was one the late Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis delivered many times during countless challenging moments of the civil rights movement and beyond. In addition, his message and example not only resonated with those on the front, middle and back lines who tried to get the country to more closely live up to the meaning of its creed, it also gave them added fuel to continue marching ahead, many historians and others say.

Hope also is more important than ever to hold onto in today’s challenging times, Wells told several dozen people who attended a peaceful two-hour Candles for Democracy vigil Saturday evening outside of the Mahoning County Courthouse. Sponsoring the gathering was the Mahoning Valley Freedom Fighters organization.

“Tonight, decide that you will not give up hope — that you will keep marching and protesting, that you will keep speaking out and that you will do this in the image of John Lewis, and do it nonviolently,” Wells added.

During her presentation, Wells gave what was akin to a spanning history lesson in which she noted that the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott was a major catalyst in establishing nonviolent action as a response to injustices. For more than a year, many black residents walked or carpooled to work and elsewhere while upholding nonviolence as their guide, she said.

Finally, the 381-day mass boycott, spearheaded by the Montgomery Improvement Association that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led, ended after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in November 1956 in the Browder v. Gayle decision that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.

“This was a nonviolent revolution,” said Wells, who also explained King’s six principles of nonviolence.

Efforts to protest many of the President Donald Trump administration’s policies have gained momentum, part of which the 50501 movement has led and organized. More than 60 years ago, though, Lewis, King and other civil rights leaders also knew that peacefully marching or protesting for redress to societal wrongs was a powerful way to allow people to decrease their frustrations, she explained, adding that King also spent time negotiating behind the scenes with government officials.

For example, many blacks in the 1960s in Selma nonviolently lined up day after day outside of the Dallas County Courthouse to register to vote, only to be turned away and, in some cases, assaulted or arrested. Nevertheless, they never retaliated, Wells noted.

Much of King’s two-pronged strategy is applicable today: nonviolently marching, protesting and boycotting, as well as reaching out to elected officials via calls, letters and other means while supporting candidates who want justice for all, she said.

“John Lewis explained that it’s important to always get into good trouble. He took a blow to the head on ‘Bloody Sunday’ while fighting for the right to vote for people who look like us,” Miah Pierce, 22, a Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past member, told the crowd.

Pierce, who earned a master’s degree in social work from Youngstown State University and works for Cadence Care Network, added that Lewis is one of her heroes — someone who supplied her with added courage and incentive to embark on her journey. He also influenced her career decision, along with her commitment to do what she can to stand up against wrongs and injustices, she said.

His death July 17, 2020, at age 80 still affects her, Pierce continued.

Isaiah Warren of Youngstown, a Mahoning Valley Freedom Fighter member, noted that ignorance often is the breeding ground for much of today’s destruction to the country. Ignorance commonly leads to fear, which often morphs into hatred that leads to ruin, he said.

He also called America “a land of immigrants,” most of whom come to seek a better life, a greater sense of hope and a safe place to raise their families while contributing to society. He also denounced recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, saying that many immigrants live in a state of fear while others have been “‘taken away by masked boogeymen.”

In her remarks, Darlene Petrolla, a MVFF member, differentiated between patriotism and nationalism, saying that those who embrace patriotism love the country but call out and try to correct wrongs. Nationalism, on the other hand, is “the loud drunk who is shouting ‘USA!’ while spilling beer on the Bill of Rights,” she added.

Specifically, patriotism has resulted in greater civil and women’s rights and a free press, whereas nationalism’s outcomes have included McCarthyism in the 1950s, the Vietnam War and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Petrolla noted.

“Nationalism doesn’t protect America; it just sends its kids to die (in war) for its ego,” she said.

Janet Cobb of Salem, who’s also a MVFF member, said she is engaging in peaceful civil disobedience for her sake, but also for those who are unable to march or protest largely because of health problems. Her intentions also include doing her part “to be more like John Lewis,” Cobb added.

In addition, Wells read an essay Lewis had penned shortly before his death. It reads in part: “Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life, I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.

“When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last, and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So, I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.”

In honor of Lewis, a march is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Mahoning County Courthouse. Good Trouble Trumbull will join the Mahoning Valley Freedom Fighters to celebrate Lewis’ life and accomplishments on the fifth anniversary of his death.

Then on Saturday, Good Trouble Trumbull will host Good Trouble Lives On, Extended, at 10 a.m. on Courthouse Square in Warren, for those who could not make it to the march, but want their voices heard.